Selective mechanism for shifting gears.



v A. P. BRUSH. SELECTIVE MECHANISM FOR SHIFTING GEARS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 12-, 1910.

l %1,?%, V Patented 0016.22, 1932.

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ALANSON P. BRUSH, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN.

SELECTIVE MECHANISM FOR SHIFTING GEARS.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALANsoN P. BRUSH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Selective Mechanism forShifting Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to means for selectively moving any of a pluralityof gear shifters in either direction, and for locking other shiftersagainst movement; and more specifically the invention relates to thespecial adaptation of such mechanism for use in connection with thespeed changing mechanism of an automobile.

The essential characteristics of the invention, broadly considered, arethat the shifting arms and the locking arms are both hung on alongitudinally movable rock shaft; that the shifting arms are fixed tothe shaft so as to partake of both of its movements; that the lockingarms are compelled to move longitudinally with said rock shaft, but areprevented from rocking with the rock shaft and shifter arms.

The invention consists in the combinations of'parts hereinafterdescribed and pointed out definitely in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional end view of the preferredembodiment. of the invention, the section being in the plane indicatedby line 1-1 on Fig. 2. Fig.2 is a plan View of the mechanism when thecover plate of the inclosing and supporting casing has been removed.Fig. 3 is a sectional end view in the plane indicated by line 3-3 onFig. 2. Fig. 4: is a side view of one of the shifters and the engagingpart of the.associated shifter arms.

Referring to the parts by letters, A reps resents a rock shaft which ismounted in hearings in which it cannot only rock, but can also mowlongitudinally. in the specific embodiment of the invention shownthesehearings are in the sides of a case B, and also in'the outer end of abracket J which is secured to the side of saidcase. A lover (l ispivoted to the outer end of this shaft on a substantiallyhorizontalpivot,and it passes up between two parallel guide bars Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

Application filed January 12, 1910. Serial No. 537,625.

F placed at such distance apart that they guide the lever as it is swungforward or backward to rock the shaft A. .Vv hcn, as with the embodimentof the invention shown, it is intended for use as a part of anautomobile, the shaft A will pass somewhat loosely through one of theside members V of the automobile frame; and the bars F will be fixed toa bracket f attached to this frame IllCll'lllOl. In order to move theshaft- A longitmlinally, the lever (l is rocked to right or left.turning upon one or the other of the bars F, F, as a fulcrum.

The shaft is automatically returned to its intermediate position,relative to longitudinal movement, by two springs H, H both embracingthe shaft, and the former lying between a collar 0 lirged to the shaft,and the side of the case ii. and the other lying between the same collarand the bracket J. I

Vithin the case 13 two shifter arms I), l) are fixed to the shaft. A. Inthe construction shown these are rigidly connected with the sleeve Dwhich eml'n-aces said shaft and is fixed thereto by set screws (Z.

E, E represent two'locking arms which are loosely. hung upon the shaftA. In the specific construction shown these two arms contactrespectively with the shoulders formed by the end faces of the sleeveD", and these. two locking arms are rigidly connected together by framemembers 6, 6' so as to form a rigid structure of which the locking armsare parts. This structure has surfaces e which lie on opposite sides ofthe shaft A; and when the cover plate 7/ is fixed upon the. case B thesesurfaces slidingly engage with the under face of this cover.

When the shaft A is in its intermm'liate position. both with respect tolongitudinal and with rocking movement, the locking arms I). E arealined with the shifting arms I), l) in respect to their operative lowerends. These locking arms and shifter arms are, in the construrt ionshown, provided and adapted for the purpose of moving enllwise orlooking, as required, the two shifters M and N, which are movablelongitudinally and in parallel paths. in the construction shown theseshifters are respectively supported by and movable upon two rods P gagesin an annular groove, indicated by dotted lines on Fi 3, in a slidinggear sleeve K. The shifter N-carries a forked arm n which engages withan annular groove in a sliding gear sleeve. 1, as shown in Fig. 1. Theshifter M has a transversely extended notch m in its upper surface forthe reception of the lower ends of the shifter arm D and locking arm E.A similar transverse notch n is formed in the top face of the shifter Nfor the reception of the lower. ends of the shifter arm D and thelocking arm E. In fact, in the specific construction shown, whentheshaft A is in its normal intermediate position, the lower ends ofboth of the arms D and E project into the notch m in the shifter M, andboth of the arms D, E project into the notch 11/ in theshifter N.

If, now, it is desired to move the shifter N in one direction or theother, shaft A is, by the actuation of lever C, first moved '[0 theright, as shown in Fig. 3. By this movement the locking arm E is movedout of engagement with the shifter N, leaving the shifter arm D inoperative engagement therewith. Atthe same time the shifter arm D ismoved out (if-engagement with the shifter M, leaving the locking arm Ein operative engagement therewith. The shaft A may now be-rocked in onedirection or the other, and, as a result, the shifter N will be moved inone direction or the other by the shi ter arm D; but the shifter M willbe prevented from movement by the engagement therewith of the lockingarm E. If, instead of moving the shaft A to the right as shown in Fig.3, it be moved to the left, the shifter M will be freed from therestraint of the locking arm E, and the shifter arm D will be moved outof engagement with the shifter N. Therefore, when the shaft A is rocked,the shifter M may move in either direction, as required. During thelongitudinal movement of the rock shaft the surfaces c'-, 0" ill slidein contact with the case cover, and during the rocking movement of saidshaft they will, by ,their engagem'ent with this case cover, prevent anyrocking movement of the locking arms. Among-the advantages of thisdescribed construction, it may be mentioned that it is exceedinglysimple and cheap. It is moreover very easily assembled or disassembledwhen occasion requires. It is only necessary in the la ter instance toremove the cover I); to free shaft A from the restraining influence ofthe lever to loosen the collar a, and then to withdraw said shaftendwise to free it from the locking arms and the shifting arms. They maythen be easily'removed. To reassemble the parts the looking armstructure and the shifting arm structureare-put in place with theirholes in alinement, and the shaft again pushed through them. I

Although only twoshifters are shown,

and although a locking arm and a shifter arm is associated with each ofthem, it is quite apparent that the invention is not limited to the useof two shifters, the essence of the invention lies in the use of aplurality of shifters, cooperating with suitable locking arms andsuitable shifter arms andarranged, so that by the endwise movementof thesuport-ing shaft A one or more of the shifters, which .is or are to bemoved, shall be engaged by a shifter arm "or arms, while all the othershifters are free from engagement with the shifter arms and are engagedby locking arms. 7

Generally speaking, it is not of any importance what about by themovement of the shifters.

specific results are brought i 5 shown, however, they respectively movethe two gear sleeves K and I, which sleeves are various gears adapted tobe; engaged, by

gears carried by the gear sleeves 'K and,

according as said sleeves are moved in o'e direction or the other. Onegear, however, carried by the gear sleeve K, m intended to engage withan idler gear T, which, in turn,- engages with a gear fixed to shaft S,whereby the shaft R is driven in the reverse direction.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a selective mechanism, the combine tion with a pair of shifters, alongitudinally movable rock shaft, shifting arms fixed on the shaftand'each-en'gaging a shifter'ya pair of locking arms, means for movingsaid shaft longitudinally, such movement caus ng one of said shiftingarms to be. disengaged from its shifter and the locking" arm adjacentthe last mentioned shiftin arm to be retained in contact with s'aishifter, the other of said shifter arms remaining in contact with itsshifter while its adjacent locking arm is disengaged from the saidshifter, and means for preventin the turning of the locking arms as thesha t rocks.

2. In selective mechanism, the combination of a plurality of shifters, acase having a removable cover, longitudinally movable rock shaft,mounted in said case, shifting arms fixed to said rock shaft'and adaptedto v respectively engage-with said shifters and to be moved into and outof engagement therewith by the longitudinal movement of said rock shaft,locking arms which loosely embrace said rock shaft, said rock shaftbeing provided with shoulders engaging said locking arms andCOIIIPOlllIlg them to move endwise with the rock shaft,

surfaces which slidingly engage the inner members having face of thecase cover, said members rigidly connected to the locking arms.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses. ALANSON P; BRUSH.

being I Witnesses H. R. SULLIVAN, E. L. THURSTON-

